This recently described (2004) new species from Central Kalimantan (Indonesia)   resembles strongly the today well known Cryptocoryne pygmaea from the Philippines. The leaves are however bright green and there are some (small) differences in the spathe. But the chromosome number is different, C.ideii has 2n = 20 while C. pygmaea has 2n= 34.  See the full description at the Document Service.

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Cryptocoryne ideii grows in the dry season on and near the banks in shallow water. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei	Hidden between the relatively long petioles an 'old' spathe can be seen. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei	Fresh collected plants. The leaves are bright green with a slight undulated margin. coll.Idei B-10A photo Budianto	Three immature spathe's. Note the presence of numerous cataphyls. coll.Idei B-10A photo Budianto

Fresh collected spathe's of C. ideii. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei	Idem, with opened kettle. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei	After opening of the spathe, the limb may be more or less upright. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei	Idem, note again the relative long petioles of the plant. coll.Idei B-10A photo Idei

A fresh collected plant with an unopened spathe. coll.Idei B-10A photo Budianto	Potted plants develop well in this clayish soil. coll.Idei B-10A, cult, Budianto photo Budianto	A close up of a single spathe with the limb bend backwards. The shiny part in the throat is the collarzone. coll.Idei B-10A, cult, Budianto photo Budianto	A cultivated C. ideii with the kettle opened. coll.Idei B-10A, cult, Budianto photo Budianto

A cultivated plant. The spathe is hardly to be seen. Note the slight marmorated pattern on the leaves. coll.Idei B-10A, cult. Wongso photo Wongso	Spathe with a rather oblique limb of the spathe. coll.Idei B-10A, cult. Wongso photo Wongso	The limb of the spathe opens with about a halve turn in the lower part and ends in a long tail. coll.Idei B-10A, cult. Wongso photo Wongso	Opened kettle. The styles of the female flowers are relative long. coll.Idei B-10A, cult. Wongso photo Wongso

Cultivated plant with cathaphyls. coll.Idei B-10A, cult B 1057	Alcohol preserved plants for further distribution as the TYPE material. coll.Idei B-10A	The lower part of the inflorescence, the tube is almost absent (the ruler in cm). coll.Idei B-10A	Detail of the collarzone and the lower part of the limb of the spathe (alcohol preserved plant). coll.Idei B-10A

An already fruiting specimen potted for further development. coll.Idei B-10A, cult, Budianto photo Budianto	Opened fruit, showing the seeds. Note that the peduncle remains very short in this case. coll.Idei B-10A, cult, Budianto photo Budianto	Drawing of C. ideii in Aqua Planta 29(4). coll.Idei B-10A drawing Line Jacobsen	Known distribution of C. ideii in Central Kalimantan.

Cryptocoryne ideii is known from just one locality where it grows together with C. fusca. There are strong indications that a few other collections from Kalimantan, quite distant from the type locality, may refer to the this species.
C. ideii is rather easy to grow and it may be a good aquarium plant.

Updated March 2008

Literature:

Arends, J.J., Bastmeijer, J.D. & Jacobsen, N. 1982: Chromosome numbers and taxonomy in Cryptocoryne. - Nordic Journal of Botany 2: 453-463.
Bastmeijer, J.D. 1993: Das Pflanzenporträt: Cryptocoryne fusca De Wit. - Aqua-Planta 18(3) : 108-113.
Bastmeijer, J.D. & Kettner, C. 1993: Die Cryptocorynen von Yahalawatta (Sri Lanka). - Aqua-Planta 18(1) : 30-31.
Bastmeijer, J.D. & Morco, H. 2000: Cryptocoryne pygmaea Merrill (Araceae) von Busuanga und Palawan (Philippinen). - Aqua-Planta 25(3) : 99-107.
Budianto, H. & Bastmeijer J.D. 2004: Eine neue Cryptocoryne-Art (Araceae) aus Kalimantan (Indonesien). – Aqua Planta 29(4): 124-130. (Document service)
Jacobsen, N. 1982: Cryptocorynen. Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
Jacobsen, N. 1985: The Cryptocoryne (Araceae) of Borneo. - Nordic Journal of Botany 5: 31-50.
Ørgaard, M. & Jacobsen, N. 1998: SEM study of surface structures of the spathe in Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra (Araceae – Aroideae - Cryptocoryneae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 126: 261-289.
Wit, H. C. D. de 1990: Aquarienpflanzen. 2.ed. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.